Tanaka
by riptocs
Summary: When a family with bloodline limit that allows users to summon Pokemon tries to move to Konoha, will everything turn out okay?  Or will Akatsuki make trouble for Tanaka, the elder daughter.  Watch as Tanaka struggles with being orphaned in the aftermath.


**Out with the Old**

There was nothing that Tanaka enjoyed more than the beach. The way that if you stood in the shallowest parts of the water too long, where the waves would barely meet the sand, your feet would sink in. The soaked granules would feel so cool compared to the heat beating down from the sun and, should you wiggle your toes, you may entrap yourself further or even encounter a foreign object, perhaps a shell or a strand of seaweed that failed to escape with the tide.

The air seemed to have a distinct taste to it: salty, refreshing, and heavier with moisture than other parts of Fire Country. It cleared the senses, especially when there was no rain for a long time. It helped calm her nerves when she had a chance to relax.

"Tanaka! Come on and help me hitch this cart up to Ryhorn!" The eight-year old scurried away from the shoreline, back towards the house. The house, which was more like a shack, was just along the trees that bordered the beach. A large, stone grey creature was standing in front of a large wagon, almost overflowing with furniture and bags

For the small town of Umi, the heat was almost unbearable during the summer and the ground was useless for growing crops. The only trade that could be found here was through hunting and drying meats, which would later be shipped off towards the border of River Country or even better: the more distant Hidden Leaf Village, where such exotic meats and other products could be sold for more of a profit.

Tropical birds found shelter in the treetops and thrived off of the plentiful insect population. Their feathers could be sold at a very high price indeed, but only if you could catch them without damaging the fragile plumage. Tanaka had managed to shoot one with her bow and arrow a week ago and had taken a hefty supply of the colorful luxury home that day. Her father was obviously going to take these along with the rest of their belongings.

"Come on, I'll lift you and you can put the clamp onto the harness." The harness was attached to the grey creature, which grunted only slightly from the weight once Tanaka had finally reached over and attached the clamp as she had seen her father do so many times before.

"Now go get the rest of your stuff and tell your mother we'll be leaving soon." Tanaka nodded and grinned at her father.

"Sure, Dad. Then it's off to the Hidden Leaf Village for my ninja training, right?" The man looked at his daughter and returned the smile.

"Yup, among other things."

Tanaka knew that bows and arrows were better for hunting, but she had other tools at her disposal as well. When the traders came to exchange goods for supplies and gold, she often listened to their stories. They spoke of the Fourth Hokage, a ninja of legends, who managed to destroy the Nine-tailed Fox when it set its sights on Konoha. They brought wares from other villages: kunai, shuriken, and scrolls full of ninja techniques.

When she was six, Tanaka's father bought her a brand new set of shuriken at her request. However, she had to teach herself how to use them, for none of her family members were ninjas. In fact, there weren't any ninja in the entire town; just Tanaka, striving to be something that she wasn't born into. She haphazardly tossed her shuriken into her bag (only four out of the set of ten remained, and those had scratches and dull ends from repeated use) along with the scrolls her father had bought her on chakra basics and basic ninja techniques.

"Mom, are you guys ready?" Tanaka called from her small room. Suddenly, she found a furry brown and white creature at her feet.

_"It's about time, Tanaka!"_ the small creature said. The words that actually came out of its mouth were a lot different from what the girl heard. This creature, like the Ryhorn, wasn't like any other animal; it was a Pokémon, one of the creatures that Tanaka and her father were able to summon due to their bloodline limit.

"It's nice to see you too, Eevee. Where are mom and Aiko?"

_"Out in the back somewhere, I think. Poliwag is purifying some sea water to take on our journey."_ Eevee flicked her bushy brown tail, which was tipped with white, making the girl giggle.

"I'll get them and then I promise I'll brush you out, okay?"

_"All right; I'll be waiting by the cart!"_ The Pokémon scurried away, leaving Tanaka smiling. Her father had once explained to her that Pokémon were different from normal animal summons. Animal summons required contracts and they would only make them with people they deemed worthy, but the right to summon Pokémon is generally a birthright. One still has to be worthy in order to befriend their Pokémon and get it to listen to their commands and help them in combat.

Animal summons also don't stay around very long; once the job is done, they disappear back to wherever they came from until it was time to use them again. Pokémon, on the other hand, are constant companions. Once summoned, they are with you for life, and you need to get along with them or suffer fighting against them, and that's not fun.

Pokémon also have one more unique attribute: they change shape and ability if you focus enough chakra into them. They change back after the battle, but neither Tanaka nor her father had ever been able to "evolve" their Pokémon to see what it was like first hand.

"Mom!" The eight-year old gracefully rushed to her mother's side. She watched as her mother lifted a large jug of fresh water with one arm while still cradling Aiko in the other.

The small baby girl came as a big surprise to Tanaka just two weeks ago. Her father had told her that she would be getting a little brother or sister, but she was so small! Even her nose was tiny, though it was quite cute. Aiko reminded her older sister of the small dolls the traders would sell. If she behaved extra well that day and the hunt was good that month, she would even get to choose one!

"Dad said it's time to go! Did Poliwag do a good job?"

A slimy blue creature with two legs, a paddle-shaped tail, and a large spiral on its stomach brushed up against her leg. _"Don't I always?"_

Tanaka gave a sly grin. "Of course you do! I'll race you to the cart!"

` _"No fair! I'm no good on land!"_ Poliwag waddled after her anyway, tripping a few times. Eevee rushed up and jumped into Tanaka's arms as she rushed towards the cart, startling the girl a bit, but she ended up laughing in the end.

With her mother, her father, her new baby sister, and all of the Pokémon with her on the journey to Konoha, life couldn't possibly get any better.


End file.
